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I first breastfeed, then give him formula, but I can't sustain this much longer as the baby often doesn't want the bottle after breastfeeding or doesn't want the breast after bottlefeeding. He's still taking 20 oz a day and I'm only producing about 1 oz per feeding. And he still seems hungry after the feedings.

I also take Mother's Milk Tea.

I'd like to at least try to breastfeed him a few times a day. Do you think I should try to breastfeed him just in the night/morning now and see if that works? I'd be sad to give up breastfeeding altogether.

Re: baby taking 20 oz formula per day--help!

Originally Posted by @llli*gradstud

I first breastfeed, then give him formula, but I can't sustain this much longer as the baby often doesn't want the bottle after breastfeeding or doesn't want the breast after bottlefeeding. He's still taking 20 oz a day and I'm only producing about 1 oz per feeding. And he still seems hungry after the feedings.

If he doesn't want the bottle after breastfeeding, that's good, right? Put the baby on the breast first, every time, and then just top off with formula only if baby is clearly still hungry.

What about taking your baby to bed with you and nursing through the night, no bottles?

It's hard, but the only way to decrease formula and increase supply is to nurse, all the time, and only offer bottles when absolutely necessary. At eleven weeks, it's hard to nurse just a couple times a day - your supply will suffer and eventually dwindle. (You can often do this later, after you start solids, with less repercussions, but at eleven weeks, your supply is not well established yet.)

Are you pumping every time your baby gets a bottle? Adding pumping sessions after every nursing session will increase your supply as well.

You can call me JoMo!

Mom to baby boy Joe, born 5/4/09 and breastfed for more than two and a half years, and baby girl Maggie, born 7/9/12.

Re: baby taking 20 oz formula per day--help!

the baby often doesn't want the bottle after breastfeeding or doesn't want the breast after bottlefeeding.

Wait, that sounds pretty good! If baby doesn't want the bottle after nursing, that should indicate that he doesn't need the bottle after nursing. I'm with the PP- just nurse first, and then top off with formula (or, preferably, expressed milk). And if the baby won't take the formula/milk, don't sweat it: just watch his diaper output.

I'm also that at just 11 weeks, trying to nurse just a couple times a day would not be optimal. There's good reason to think that you would risk being unable to maintain any significant supply, and good reason to think that your baby might decide that given the low supply, why nurse when he could just get a bottle? So if you can hang in there a while longer, I would certainly do it!

Re: baby taking 20 oz formula per day--help!

thanks for the comments and links--I guess I feel nervous that the baby isn't eating enough when he refuses the bottle because he still makes lots of hunger signs (sticking out tongue, waving arms around, being fussy). His diaper count seems OK though. I'll try to stick with it!

Re: baby taking 20 oz formula per day--help!

Put him back on the breast as soon as he starts making the hunger signs again. Since you are feeding him the majority of his intake from formula right now though, follow that link that was provided above to wean him off the formula.

Re: baby taking 20 oz formula per day--help!

thanks all--do you know anyone who has successfully weaned off this much formula? i need to believe it can be done because it looks a bit impossible right now--we don't seem to be getting anywhere!

i just got DD off formula. she was taking about the same as your babe (20+ oz). i'm not going to lie, it's been a long and frustrating road, but well worth it! of course, i have other issues (see signature) that made it more difficult. but you CAN do it! offer the breast at every opportunity and absolutely follow the link about weaning off formula. you may have to stay at one phase longer than it suggests, but the thoery works. it took me since sept to get a full supply, i'm confident that you can do it in a much shorter timeframe! best of luck!

i'm Kim, married to my DH since 8-3-02.
this is my second attempt to bf after a breast reduction.
Andrew Gage 6-5-04 ff
John Michael 2-8-08 ff and bf until 7 mos
Lillian Gianna 6-25-10 ebf since 11-12-10 thanks to the support and knowledge from this forum!